Here we go again

fogcity · 01-02-2008, 08:39 PM

It's been a few years since I posted and since I sold my 84 Carrera. A couple break downs made me get a new car, a Passat, because I thought I should be more responsible now that I have a toddler. Anyway, I've dreamed of driving that car again (literally) and can't get Porsche out of my mind.

I hate the VW, and kind of "decided" to get a 2006 BMW 5 later this year - you know, cooler car, more fun and sportier, warranty left, etc. Anyway, I was surprised to see that the 1999-2000 Carrera's are going for around what I planned on paying for the BMW (low 30k'$), and what I really want is another Carrera - so, the reasearch begins: What do I need to look for? What milage is too high? Can a person purchase a (good) warranty for these years? Can I expect to have a "red-line it everyday, drive-it-like-you-stole-it, what an amazing car, this is so easy to work on" kind of car like my 84 was?

Also, can someone point me to a link explaining any differances between 911 models of 1999-2002?

Thanks (it feels good to be back on this board).
(I'm going to cut and paste this post on the 996 forum also - hope that's not against the rules)

jhynesrockmtn · 01-03-2008, 06:01 AM

Oh god, here we go

Check out this thread for opinions on the 996 for starters:

cheap 996 vs not cheap carrera

Best of luck

Deschodt · 09:11 AM

Ok... Breakdown for 996 is more like 98 (europe) 99 (US)-2001 with the 3.4L motor, and 2002-2004 with 3.6L..
MkI models have the same nose as the boxster, MkII (2002+) have the newer headlights and bumper, and 20 hp extra...

The old adage of buying the newest you can afford makes sense if that will allow you to skip from generation 1 to generation 2, say a 2002 instead of a 2001. Within the same generation however, buy the best car regardless of mileage or year. And MkI are fine cars in their own right.

996s are just as reliable/not reliable as every generation of 911 ever released. Instead of valve guides or exploding airboxes or leaking engine cases or ODB2 issues (wow, I covered 4 generations) they have occasional Rear main seal issues (it's just a small oil leak, not the end of the world), and early cars (mostly) sometimes had the engine go boom. Most of the time POrsche took care of that free... But in this age of internet forums, you hear the bad more than the good, so use your judgement...

Yes, you can buy a warranty for the car, I just did buy a $3000+ warranty that covers my 2003 for 4 years and 100K extra miles, not cheap, but 1/3 the cost of a major engine issue, a small fraction of the value of the car, and not a care in the world.

To answer your question further, I find the 996 to be just as easy to work on as my 911SC, easier in some respects (suspension for instance), harder in others (need computer to reset codes), but all very DIY friendly, and to my surprise, you can get a lot of "goodies" for the 996 real cheap. For instance a whole set of ROW030 shocks + springs + sway bars is only $1000 - a great deal that is hard to beat with aircooled cars !

They are phenomenal cars in terms of performance, the only knock that I think is valid on them is they lack in the hips department, and the resale value is crap. Hope this helped !

fogcity · 01-03-2008, 07:22 PM

Greg - that helps a ton. As far as the early cars sometimes "going boom", what's early? Would that make someone prefer a 2000 with 70k miles on it over one with 35k miles (all else equal, of course) due to a 'proven' engine?
Thanks

Deschodt · 12:16 PM

There was a casting problem is early 996 motors, 98-99 even maybe. It has been corrected subsequently. Same with the RMS, which has been redesigned 3 times I think ??? The odds of a current "old" 996 going boom are significantly reduced now. The bad ones either already have blown up or won't by now... And the latest Rear Main seal is supposedly leak proof now... So yeah, I'd buy a 70K miles car instead, and put the money differential into a warranty...

It's worth buying one froma dealer with factory extended warranty or if you find a much better deal (likely), buy elsewhere and get an aftermarket warranty, just in case. Because it's an expensive car, not because it's a ticking time bomb. I wouldn't buy a $3K warranty on a $15K 911, but I would on a $40K car... That's just logical to me... And again, "issues" are not all that prevalent statistically speaking, you always hear the bad more often than the good...